2023–24 Saudi First Division League

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First Division League
Season2023–24
Dates14 August 2023 – May 2024
PromotedAl-Qadsiah
RelegatedAl-Taraji
Matches played279
Goals scored730 (2.62 per match)
Top goalscorerMbaye Diagne
(21 goals)
Biggest home winAl-Arabi 4–0 Hajer
(21 August 2023)
Ohod 4–0 Al-Jandal
(3 October 2023)
Biggest away winAl-Batin 0–5 Al-Kholood
(3 September 2023)
Highest scoringAl-Safa 4–6 Al-Qadsiah
(10 January 2024)
Longest winning runAl-Orobah
(8 matches)
Longest unbeaten runAl-Safa
(14 matches)
Longest winless runAl-Taraji
Hajer
(13 matches)
Longest losing runAl-Safa
(6 matches)
All statistics correct as of 8 May 2024.

The 2023–24 First Division League (known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons) will be the third season of the Saudi First Division League after its rebrand, and the 47th season of the Saudi First Division since its establishment in 1976. The season started on 14 August 2023 and will conclude in May 2024.[1]

On 6 May, Al-Qadsiah became the first team to be promoted following a 2–2 draw with Ohod.[2]

Team changes[edit]

The following teams have changed division since the 2022–23 season.

Teams[edit]

A total of 18 teams are contesting the league, including 11 sides from the 2022–23 season, the five promoted teams from the Second Division and the two relegated sides from the Pro League.

Al-Batin were the first club to be relegated following a 1–0 defeat away to Al-Ittihad on 23 May 2023.[3] Al-Batin were relegated after three years in the top flight. Al-Adalah were the second and final club to be relegated following a 2–0 home defeat to Al-Ettifaq on the final matchday.[4] Al-Adalah were relegated after just one year in the top flight. Both Al-Adalah and Al-Batin will play in their 7th season in the FD League.

The first club to be promoted was Al-Najma who did so after a 1–1 draw against Al-Kawkab on 17 March 2023.[5] On 24 March 2023, Al-Taraji became the second club to be promoted despite a 1–0 defeat to Al-Bukiryah.[6] On 31 March 2023, Al-Bukiryah became the third club to be promoted following a 1–0 home win against Al-Diriyah.[7] On 8 April 2023, Al-Safa became the fourth club to be promoted following a 2–1 home win against Wej.[8] The fifth and final club to be promoted was Al-Jandal, who did so following a 4–2 aggregate win over Bisha in the promotion play-offs.[9]

Al-Najma were crowned champions after defeating Al-Taraji 2–1 to win their third title and first since 2010.[10]

Al-Najma return to the First Division League after an absence of 10 years. They return to the league for the first time since the 2012–13 season and will play in their 11th overall season. Al-Bukiryah return after an absence of two seasons and will play in their 3rd overall season in the First Division League. Al-Safa return after an absence of eight years and will play in their 2nd overall season in the First Division League. Both Al-Taraji and Al-Jandal were promoted to the First Division League for the first time in history.

Stadia and locations[edit]

class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams in the 2023–24 First Division League
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Al-Adalah Al-Hasa (Al-Hulaylah) Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Hajer Club Stadium 		26,000[11]
12,000
Al-Ain Al Bahah King Saud Sport City Stadium 10,000[12]
Al-Arabi Unaizah Department of Education Stadium 10,000[13]
Al-Batin Hafar al-Batin Al-Batin Club Stadium 6,000[14]
Al-Bukiryah Al Bukayriyah Al-Bukiryah Club Stadium 5,000[15]
Al-Faisaly Harmah Al Majma'ah Sports City (Al Majma'ah) 7,000
Al-Jabalain Ha'il Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium 12,250[16]
Al-Jandal Dumat al-Jandal Al-Orobah Club Stadium (Sakakah) 7,000[17]
Al-Kholood Ar Rass Al-Hazem Club Stadium 8,000[18]
Al-Najma Unaizah Department of Education Stadium
Al-Najma Club Stadium 		10,000
7,000[19]
Al-Orobah Sakakah Al-Orobah Club Stadium 7,000[17]
Al-Qadsiah Khobar Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium 15,000[20]
Al-Qaisumah Qaisumah Al-Batin Club Stadium (Hafar al-Batin) 6,000[14]
Al-Safa Safwa Al-Safa Club Stadium
Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar)
Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium (Dammam) 		3,000
15,000[20]
26,000[21]
Al-Taraji Qatif Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Stadium
Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium (Khobar) 		12,000[22]
15,000[20]
Hajer Al-Hasa (Hofuf) Hajer Club Stadium 12,000[23]
Jeddah Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium
Sports Hall at King Abdullah Sports City 		27,000
1,000
Ohod Medina Ohod Club Stadium 5,000[24]

Personnel and kits[edit]

Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
Al-Adalah Netherlands Roel Coumans Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Yousef Al-Adalah Yelo
Al-Ain Serbia Zoran Milinković Chad Othman Maloum Zat Outfit Yelo
Al-Arabi Serbia Aleksandar Ilić Saudi Arabia Ahmed Al-Muwallad Kelme Naqi Water, Yelo
Al-Batin North Macedonia Gjore Jovanovski Morocco Zakaria Lahlali Skillano Yelo, Almaali Hospital2
Al-Bukiryah Saudi Arabia Khalil Al-Masri Netherlands Hicham Faik RightAway Sport Yelo, Advanced Energy, Entaj1
Al-Faisaly Brazil Marcelo Chamusca Saudi Arabia Yassin Barnawi Adidas Aldrees, Yelo
Al-Jabalain Portugal João Mota Jordan Yazid Abu Layla Envision Abar, Yelo, AlAhli Medical2
Al-Jandal Saudi Arabia Ziyad Al-Afar Saudi Arabia Humood Bakr Skillano Yelo
Al-Kholood Portugal Fabiano Flora Saudi Arabia Tareq Al-Kaebi In-House Yelo, Wav Water2
Al-Najma Italy Giovanni Solinas Saudi Arabia Ziyad Al-Qahtani Offside Yelo, Kyan
Al-Orobah Bosnia and Herzegovina Rusmir Cviko Saudi Arabia Rafea Al-Ruwaili Offside Yelo
Al-Qadsiah Spain Míchel Spain Joel Robles Macron
Al-Qaisumah Tunisia Abderrazek Chebbi Saudi Arabia Sultan Ghunaiman Copa Yelo
Al-Safa France Laurent Hagist Saudi Arabia Dawod Al Saeed Terio Yelo
Al-Taraji Romania Ilie Stan Saudi Arabia Abdulmajeed Haddadi Laser Yelo
Hajer North Macedonia Gjoko Hadžievski Saudi Arabia Hassan Jaafari Offside Yelo
Jeddah Kuwait Maher Al-Shammari Somalia Faisal Abu Bakr Skillano Yelo
Ohod Croatia Damir Burić Saudi Arabia Salem Qabbos Offside Yelo
  • 1 On the back of the strip.
  • 2 On the right sleeve of the strip.
  • 3 On the shorts.

Foreign players[edit]

On 1 June 2023, the Saudi FF announced that the number of foreign players was increased from 6 players to 7 players.[25]

  • Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
  • Players in italics were out of the squad or left the club within the season, after the pre-season transfer window, or in the mid-season transfer window, and at least had one appearance.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Player 7 Former Players
Al-Adalah Brazil Philipe Maia Cameroon Donovan Ewolo France Karim Yoda Greece Theofanis Mavrommatis Mali Moussa Doumbia Slovenia David Tijanić Togo Samsondin Ouro Peru Christofer Gonzáles
Romania Alexandru Tudorie
Al-Ain Brazil Bruno Grassi Cape Verde Dodô Chad Othman Maloum Ivory Coast Mohamed Ouattara Ivory Coast Daouda Sylla Nigeria Erhun Obanor Nigeria Anthony Okpotu
Al-Arabi Brazil Jobson Brazil Diego Miranda Brazil Muralha Honduras Romell Quioto Ivory Coast Cheick Comara Netherlands Ola John Senegal Ablaye Mbengue Tunisia Khemais Maaouani
Al-Batin Algeria Okacha Hamzaoui France Thibault Peyre Ghana Isaac Sackey Ivory Coast Mamadou Soro Morocco Amine Atouchi Morocco Zakaria Lahlali Morocco Abdelali Mhamdi Uruguay Brahian Alemán
Al-Bukiryah Argentina Fernando Piñero Ghana Salifu Mudasiru Moldova Henrique Luvannor Morocco Zakaria Fati Morocco Ayoub Lakhdar Netherlands Hicham Faik Serbia Nikola Petrić Cameroon Serge Tabekou
Netherlands Reda Kharchouch
Serbia Nebojša Bastajić
Al-Faisaly Brazil Morato Brazil Lucas Souza Cameroon Paul Garita Germany Joy-Lance Mickels Morocco Mohamed Cheikhi Portugal Vladimir Stojković Tunisia Larry Azouni
Al-Jabalain Brazil Nailson Jordan Yazid Abu Layla Morocco Iliass Bel Hassani Netherlands Mohamed Rayhi Senegal Mamadou Thiam Serbia Miodrag Gemović Spain Israel Puerto Kenya Masoud Juma
Al-Jandal Brazil Tony Batista Brazil Leandrinho Egypt Camacho Ivory Coast Senin Sebai Panama Cristian Martínez Spain Agi Dambelley Tunisia Sabri Zaidi Brazil Róbson
Morocco Sofian El Moudane
Nigeria Austin Amutu
Al-Kholood Argentina Mariano Vázquez Brazil Roberto Dias Brazil Rafael Martins Brazil Arthur Rezende Iraq Ahmed Yasin Portugal Afonso Taira Serbia Nikola Stojiljković Sweden Samuel Armenteros
Al-Najma Algeria Farid Chaâl Brazil Alan Cariús Brazil Wellington Silva Brazil Léo Tilica Portugal Hernâni Fortes Tanzania Simon Msuva Venezuela Luis Mago Algeria Ayoub Azzi
Albania Idriz Batha
Guinea Ousmane Barry
Guinea-Bissau Ença Fati
Al-Orobah Albania Rubin Hebaj Australia Connor Pain Brazil Matheus Duarte Curaçao Vurnon Anita France Béni Nkololo Lithuania Džiugas Bartkus Netherlands Mounir El Allouchi Brazil Tiago Bezerra
Al-Qadsiah Argentina Luciano Vietto Germany Alexander Hack Peru André Carrillo Portugal Kévin Rodrigues Senegal Mbaye Diagne Spain Álvaro González Spain Joel Robles England Max Power
Al-Qaisumah Angola Elliot Simões Brazil Lucas Dias Burkina Faso Souleymane Sakandé Ghana Sadat Karim Portugal Sandro Sakho Bosnia and Herzegovina Slaviša Bogdanović
Brazil Jefferson
Ecuador Jeison Chalá
Al-Safa Brazil Fabinho Brazil Maicon Brazil Kaká Mendes Brazil Reinaldo Mali Hamidou Traoré Mali Daouda Toure Tunisia Borhane Hakimi Colombia Victor Arboleda
Ghana Denny Antwi
Nigeria Usman Sale
Tunisia Malek Miladi
Al-Taraji Benin Rodrigue Kossi Germany Leroy-Jacques Mickels Ghana Samuel Sarfo Ivory Coast Mohamed Aidara Brazil Roger
Cameroon Alain Akono
Portugal Emanuel Novo
Hajer Cameroon Clarence Bitang Croatia Nikola Jambor Morocco Reda Hajhouj Netherlands Youssef El Jebli Netherlands Reda Kharchouch North Macedonia Konstantin Cheshmedjiev Senegal Bakary Coulibaly Algeria Abderrahmane Bourdim
Austria Srđan Spiridonović
Brazil Adriano Pardal
Cameroon Ronald Ngah
Serbia Miloš Krunić
Jeddah Algeria Rédha Bensayah Algeria Khaled Nèche Cameroon Ngweni Ndassi Gabon Medwin Biteghé Somalia Faisal Abu Bakr Tunisia Aziz Chtioui Algeria Hamid Djaouchi
Ohod Algeria Karim Aribi Algeria Haris Belkebla Algeria Ryad Boudebouz Morocco Mohamed Kamal Poland Konrad Michalak Uruguay Nicolás Milesi Zimbabwe Gerald Takwara Angola Jonás Ramalho
Iraq Hussein Jabbar
Paraguay César Meza Colli
Paraguay David Meza

League table[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Al-Qadsiah (P) 31 19 7 5 57 27 +30 64 Promotion to the Pro League
2 Al-Orobah 31 18 3 10 45 32 +13 57
3 Al-Kholood 31 16 7 8 47 27 +20 55
4 Al-Adalah 31 14 11 6 48 38 +10 53
5 Al-Arabi 31 15 7 9 56 35 +21 52
6 Al-Faisaly 31 14 5 12 44 43 +1 47
7 Al-Jabalain 31 12 10 9 38 35 +3 46
8 Al-Batin[a] 31 13 7 11 39 37 +2 46
9 Al-Najma 31 12 9 10 49 43 +6 45
10 Al-Safa 31 11 8 12 42 45 −3 41
11 Al-Jandal 31 11 7 13 31 39 −8 40
12 Al-Ain[a] 31 10 11 10 37 40 −3 38
13 Jeddah 31 10 8 13 41 51 −10 38
14 Al-Bukiryah 31 9 9 13 31 39 −8 36
15 Ohod 31 7 12 12 34 38 −4 33
16 Hajer 31 4 13 14 27 48 −21 25 Relegation to the Second Division
17 Al-Qaisumah 31 6 6 19 38 57 −19 24
18 Al-Taraji (R) 31 4 8 19 26 56 −30 20
Updated to match(es) played on 8 May 2024. Source: goalzz.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Total goal difference; 5) Total goals scored; 6) Fair-play points
(Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played).[27]
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Al-Batin were awarded a 3–0 win over Al-Ain due to Al-Ain's inability to hold the fixture. In addition, Al-Ain were deducted 3 points for the same reason.[26]

Positions by round[edit]

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolution, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterward.

Team ╲ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Al-Adalah121086533322233234544366776555554
Al-Ain1181117121012141515151415141414141414151515151515151413121212
Al-Arabi51311457791110111096666677543334445
Al-Batin107910109101111121098889988888988878778
Al-Bukiryah466778855571112121213131313131211111112141514141314
Al-Faisaly1215366466565667877755655786666
Al-Jabalain7342654644444442222434467667897
Al-Jandal181716121312141312812121091010799999101010101211111111
Al-Kholood1413151187710107656755333222334442323
Al-Najma91213151113119911989111111111011101010899999989
Al-Orobah2554421111112323455543222223232
Al-Qadsiah6423212233321111111111111111111
Al-Qaisumah8141416171718181618181818181815161818181818161716171717161717
Al-Safa16151718181817171816161616151716181715141414141413111010101010
Al-Taraji17161813161413121314141514161617171516161617181818181818181818
Hajer15181214141516161717171717171518151617171716171617161616171616
Jeddah13910991198810877578101110111112131314121112131413
Ohod31178151615151413131313131312121212121313121211131315151515
Leader
Promotion to the Pro League
Relegation to the Second Division
Updated to match(es) played on 8 May 2024. Source: [citation needed]

Results[edit]

Home \ Away ADA AIN ARB BAT BUK FSY JAB JAN KHO NAJ ORO QAD QAI SAF TAR HJR JED OHD
Al-Adalah 1–1 2–2 0–1 3–2 4–2 2–1 2–0 0–1 2–2 1–0 1–0 3–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–0
Al-Ain 1–1 2–3 1–0 3–4 1–1 3–2 2–1 0–3 0–0 2–2 4–1 1–0 3–1 3–1 1–3
Al-Arabi 1–2 2–2 3–0 3–0 1–0 1–2 1–2 5–2 3–1 3–1 4–2 0–1 4–0 2–1 3–2
Al-Batin 1–2 3–0[28] 0–0 2–2 0–0 2–1 0–5 0–1 0–1 1–0 2–3 1–2 1–0 1–1 3–1 3–1
Al-Bukiryah 2–2 0–0 1–1 1–2 0–0 1–0 2–1 1–1 1–1 1–0 2–0 2–1 2–2 3–2 1–0
Al-Faisaly 2–0 0–2 2–1 1–3 5–2 2–0 3–0 0–3 1–2 0–1 2–1 2–0 2–0 1–4 1–0
Al-Jabalain 1–2 1–0 3–3 2–1 1–1 2–0 1–0 0–2 1–0 0–3 2–1 4–1 3–0 2–1 1–0 1–1
Al-Jandal 1–1 1–0 1–3 2–0 0–1 1–0 1–2 3–2 3–0 0–1 1–0 2–1 2–1 0–0 1–1
Al-Kholood 0–0 0–1 1–1 2–0 1–0 1–1 1–0 2–2 3–1 0–2 3–1 2–1 4–1 2–2 2–0
Al-Najma 1–3 0–1 2–1 0–1 3–1 3–0 3–1 0–1 0–0 0–3 0–0 1–1 1–0 1–1 2–4 3–0[29]
Al-Orobah 0–0 4–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–2 0–2 1–0 3–4 1–0 1–0 0–2 3–0 3–1 1–2 2–1
Al-Qadsiah 2–1 2–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 1–3 3–1 1–0 3–0 3–3 1–1
Al-Qaisumah 3–1 1–2 0–0 2–2 1–0 1–2 1–2 1–1 3–2 0–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 3–1 2–3
Al-Safa 3–2 0–0 0–3 0–1 2–1 3–1 0–0 1–1 0–1 4–6 4–1 4–1 2–0 2–2 0–1
Al-Taraji 2–4 2–1 0–1 0–3 0–0 0–1 2–2 1–1 0–0 3–2 2–1 0–3 0–1 2–2 1–2 1–1
Hajer 1–1 0–0 0–1 0–0 0–1 1–1 0–2 3–1 1–1 0–4 1–4 1–0 2–0 1–2 0–0 0–2
Jeddah 0–1 1–1 1–0 2–1 1–0 3–3 0–1 0–3 2–1 0–1 0–3 0–3 1–1 2–2 0–3 1–1
Ohod 1–1 0–0 1–0 3–1 0–1 0–2 0–0 4–0 0–1 2–2 1–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–2
Updated to match(es) played on 8 May 2024. Source: goalzz.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Statistics[edit]

As of 8 May 2024
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